FAIZ ABAD (SW): Up to 15 schools in Badakhshan province have been closed down by the Taliban for the past two years leaving tens of thousands of children deprived of education.
Esmatullah Sharqi, deputy director for education in the province, told Salam Watandar that the militants have closed down these schools in the Warduj district affecting up to 10,000 children. He said more than ten thousand students were enrolled in schools here last year, but this year not a single child has enrolled. He noted up to 7260 boys and 2800 girls were enrolled here.
Prior to the fall of this district to the Taliban, up to 250 teachers were busy teaching at 15 public schools here, but now all of them including staff of the directorate of education have moved to other relatively safer parts of the district. The deputy director education further informed that around 500 students from this restive district have moved to the provincial capital Faiz Abad and other relatively safer parts of the district to continue with their studies.
In the meantime, Zabihullah Mujahed, spokesman for the Taliban, has discarded these allegations. He went on to say all schools under their areas of influence are open, but due to limited resources the Taliban cannot build new education centers.
The local directorate for education assert that the Taliban have only closed down schools in Warduj not in other areas under their influence.
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